BETA


2021/2244(INI) Report on the 2021 Commission Report on Albania

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET SANTOS Isabel (icon: S&D S&D) LEGA David (icon: EPP EPP), KYUCHYUK Ilhan (icon: Renew Renew), WAITZ Thomas (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), BERG Lars Patrick (icon: ECR ECR), KOULOGLOU Stelios (icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54

Events

2022/10/05
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2022/05/19
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2022/05/19
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 519 votes to 52, with 28 abstentions, a resolution on the 2021 Commission report on Albania.

Reaffirming the European future of Albania and the whole Western Balkans region, Parliament urged the Council to preserve the credibility of European integration by opening accession negotiations with Albania and Northern Macedonia quickly - as regularly recommended by the Commission - given that both countries have fulfilled the conditions set by the European Council and continue to achieve viable results in all key areas.

Members recalled that Albania's final accession to the EU is conditional on the implementation of sustainable, deep and irreversible reforms in key areas, starting with the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions. They called on Albania to continue its efforts to consolidate the functioning of the judicial system, strengthen democracy, the rule of law and the economy, empower civil society, fight corruption and organised crime, ensure media freedom and the protection of minority rights, including the LGBTI+ community.

Democratic institutions, media and civil society

Parliament reaffirmed the joint responsibility of Albania's political forces to strengthen constructive political dialogue and cooperation in order to facilitate the effective functioning of the country's democratic institutions by continuing to improve governance, transparency and pluralism and by ensuring the active participation of civil society. It recalled the importance of building the necessary consensus among all political actors to strengthen Albania's democratic parliamentary culture.

Members recalled the need to address remaining electoral shortcomings in a timely manner, before the next parliamentary elections, in line with the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission, by continuing to improve the accessibility and integrity of the elections and by preventing vote buying and the misuse of administrative resources.

Parliament also noted the urgent need to strengthen freedom of expression, independence and pluralism of the media and is concerned about the lack of progress in this area. It called on the authorities to implement a zero tolerance policy and to take firm action against marginalisation, intimidation and violence against the media and independent reporters. It reiterated the need to strengthen investigative journalism, fact-checking and media education to combat hate speech, disinformation and false information.

Fundamental rights

Albania is called upon to:

- systematically prevent all cases of hate speech and hate crime, verbal and physical attacks and intimidation, both offline and online, including against journalists, human rights defenders and persons belonging to vulnerable and minority groups, such as LGBTI+ or Roma;

- make further progress in implementing gender equality, property rights, data protection, the rights of persons with disabilities and minority rights in the areas of education, languages, self-identification and the protection of cultural heritage;

- strengthen the prevention of gender-based violence and feminicide and take action against all forms of sexual violence, in particular against children, including highly vulnerable refugee and migrant children and children with disabilities;

- effectively guarantee the right to freedom of peaceful assembly;

- ensure due asylum process and address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

Rule of law

Stressing that the rule of law and judicial reforms are the backbone of democratic transformation, Parliament called on Albania to:

- continue to fight corruption and criminal activities in all areas of public life, including in public procurement procedures and the financing of political parties;

- strengthen the capacity of the judiciary with a view to an irreversible transition to accountable, independent and functional judicial and governmental institutions;

- make further efforts to increase further the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets stemming from corruption-related offences and to secure more convictions in high-level cases;

- take decisive action against money laundering and the fight against terrorism;

- improve standardised procedures and mechanisms to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.

Members welcomed the ongoing bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including with EU justice and home affairs agencies such as Europol, Eurojust and Frontex, and the intensified fight against the production and organised trafficking of drugs, illegal weapons and human beings.

Socio-economic reforms, environment, energy and transport

Parliament stressed the need to strengthen EU assistance and funding to improve the rule of law, and to promote sustainable green growth, biodiversity, innovation, competitiveness, property rights and reversing population decline. It called on the authorities to:

- reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion by improving access to social, education and health services, especially for disadvantaged populations, including Roma and Egyptian communities, minority groups, people with disabilities and the poor;

- empower young people. Members welcomed the designation of Tirana as European Youth Capital 2022;

- intensify efforts to promote gender equality and women's rights;

- strengthen measures on biodiversity, water, air and climate protection, as well as regional waste management;

- prioritise monitoring and annual reporting on air pollution, noise pollution and surface water quality;

- develop modern, environmentally friendly and climate-friendly small and medium-scale agriculture.

Foreign policy and security

Parliament welcomed Albania's swift alignment with the EU in sanctioning Russia and its political leaders for its aggression against Ukraine, including by closing its airspace. It welcomed Albania's continued full compliance with the EU's restrictive measures. Members underlined Albania's major contribution, as a NATO member, to the protection of the EU's external border and called on the EU to step up its support for border security in the region.

Documents
2022/05/18
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2022/04/27
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2022/04/27
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Documents
2022/04/20
   EP - Vote in committee
2022/03/11
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2022/02/07
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/12/16
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/11/08
   EP - SANTOS Isabel (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in AFET

Documents

Votes

Rapport 2021 concernant l’Albanie - 2021 Report on Albania - Bericht 2021 über Albanien - A9-0131/2022 - Isabel Santos - § 2 #

2022/05/19 Outcome: +: 389, 0: 151, -: 57
ES IT PL DE RO HU PT CZ FR NL SE HR BE SK DK AT IE BG FI LT LV EE LU EL MT CY SI ??
Total
50
70
49
76
25
18
19
19
60
28
20
11
19
13
11
16
13
12
8
9
8
7
6
15
3
5
6
1
icon: S&D S&D
118

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovakia S&D

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Denmark S&D

2

Bulgaria S&D

Against (1)

3

Lithuania S&D

For (1)

1

Latvia S&D

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
93

Italy Renew

Abstain (1)

3

Poland Renew

1

Hungary Renew

2
3

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Bulgaria Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Lithuania Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Greece Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

For (1)

1

Renew

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
63

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
57

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

4
3

Croatia ECR

1

Belgium ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Latvia ECR

2

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
35

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

3

France NI

Against (1)

1

Croatia NI

2

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

2

Lithuania NI

1

Latvia NI

1
icon: PPE PPE
142

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia PPE

4

Denmark PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Bulgaria PPE

For (1)

5

Finland PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Estonia PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4
icon: The Left The Left
33

Germany The Left

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Portugal The Left

4

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark The Left

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (1)

4

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: ID ID
56

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

2

Finland ID

Against (1)

1

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1

A9-0131/2022 - Isabel Santos - § 3 #

2022/05/19 Outcome: +: 409, 0: 129, -: 57
IT ES DE PL RO HU PT CZ FR NL SK SE HR BE DK IE LV AT BG LT FI EE LU EL MT CY ?? SI
Total
70
50
75
47
24
18
19
19
63
28
13
20
11
19
11
13
8
14
14
9
8
7
6
15
3
5
1
5
icon: S&D S&D
117

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovakia S&D

2

Denmark S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Bulgaria S&D

Against (1)

3

Lithuania S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
92

Italy Renew

Abstain (1)

3

Poland Renew

1

Hungary Renew

2
3

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Bulgaria Renew

2

Lithuania Renew

1

Finland Renew

3

Estonia Renew

3

Luxembourg Renew

2

Greece Renew

1

Renew

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
64

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

1

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
55

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

4

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1
3

Croatia ECR

1

Belgium ECR

2

Latvia ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
33

Germany The Left

2

Portugal The Left

4

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

France The Left

4

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Denmark The Left

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (1)

4

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

2
icon: NI NI
35

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

3

France NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

2

Croatia NI

2

Latvia NI

1

Lithuania NI

1
icon: PPE PPE
143

Hungary PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia PPE

Abstain (1)

4

Denmark PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Finland PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Estonia PPE

Abstain (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

2

Cyprus PPE

2

Slovenia PPE

4
icon: ID ID
56

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

2

Finland ID

Against (1)

1

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1

A9-0131/2022 - Isabel Santos - Proposition de résolution (ensemble du texte) #

2022/05/19 Outcome: +: 519, -: 52, 0: 28
IT DE PL ES RO HU FR NL PT SE CZ BE BG AT SK IE HR LT DK LV EL SI LU FI EE CY MT ??
Total
69
75
49
50
25
18
63
28
19
20
18
19
14
16
13
13
11
9
11
8
15
6
6
8
7
5
3
1
icon: PPE PPE
146

Hungary PPE

1

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE

2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Finland PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
2
icon: S&D S&D
118

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Bulgaria S&D

Against (1)

3

Slovakia S&D

2

Lithuania S&D

For (1)

1

Denmark S&D

2

Latvia S&D

2

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

1
icon: Renew Renew
93

Italy Renew

Abstain (1)

3

Poland Renew

1

Hungary Renew

2
3

Bulgaria Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Ireland Renew

2

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1

Greece Renew

1

Slovenia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Finland Renew

3

Estonia Renew

3

Renew

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
64

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Spain Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

3

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Denmark Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

2
icon: ECR ECR
56

Romania ECR

1

Netherlands ECR

Abstain (1)

4
3

Belgium ECR

2

Bulgaria ECR

2

Slovakia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

1

Latvia ECR

2

Greece ECR

Against (1)

1
icon: NI NI
35

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

3

France NI

Against (1)

1

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

2

Croatia NI

2

Lithuania NI

1

Latvia NI

Abstain (1)

1
icon: The Left The Left
32

Germany The Left

For (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Netherlands The Left

Against (1)

1

Portugal The Left

4

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Czechia The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Belgium The Left

Abstain (1)

1

Ireland The Left

Abstain (2)

4

Denmark The Left

1

Finland The Left

For (1)

1

Cyprus The Left

Abstain (1)

2
icon: ID ID
55

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Czechia ID

Against (2)

2

Austria ID

2

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Finland ID

Against (1)

1

Estonia ID

Against (1)

1
AmendmentsDossier
279 2021/2244(INI)
2022/03/11 AFET 279 amendments...
source: 719.757

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0131_EN.html
docs/3
date
2022-10-05T00:00:00
docs
url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=58189&j=0&l=en title: SP(2022)484
type
Commission response to text adopted in plenary
body
EC
docs/3
date
2022-05-19T00:00:00
docs
title: T9-0214/2022
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
body
EP
events/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0131_EN.html
events/3/docs
  • url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-9-2021-05-18-TOC_EN.html title: Debate in Parliament
events/4
date
2022-05-19T00:00:00
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docs
title: T9-0214/2022
events/5
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2022-05-19T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
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docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0214_EN.html title: T9-0214/2022
summary
procedure/geographical_area
  • Albania
procedure/subject/8.20.01
Candidate countries
docs/2
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docs
title: A9-0131/2022
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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title: T9-0214/2022
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2022-05-19T00:00:00
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docs
title: T9-0214/2022
forecasts
  • date: 2022-04-20T00:00:00 title: Vote scheduled in committee
  • date: 2022-05-18T00:00:00 title: Indicative plenary sitting date
procedure/Other legal basis
Rules of Procedure EP 159
procedure/geographical_area
  • Albania
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Procedure completed
procedure/subject/8.20.01
Candidate countries
forecasts/0
date
2022-04-20T00:00:00
title
Vote scheduled in committee
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2022-04-20T00:00:00
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Vote scheduled in committee
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2022-04-21T00:00:00
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2022-04-20T00:00:00
docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/AFET-AM-719757_EN.html
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2022-04-20T00:00:00
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2022-04-21T00:00:00
docs/1/date
Old
2022-03-08T00:00:00
New
2022-03-11T00:00:00
docs/1
date
2022-03-08T00:00:00
docs
title: PE719.757
type
Amendments tabled in committee
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EP
forecasts/1
date
2022-05-18T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Foreign Affairs
committee
AFET
associated
False
rapporteur
name: SANTOS Isabel date: 2021-11-08T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Foreign Affairs
committee
AFET
associated
False
rapporteur
name: SANTOS Isabel date: 2021-11-08T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
docs/0/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/AFET-PR-704601_EN.html
docs
  • date: 2022-02-07T00:00:00 docs: title: PE704.601 type: Committee draft report body: EP
committees/0/shadows/4
name
BERG Lars Patrick
group
European Conservatives and Reformists Group
abbr
ECR
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
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committee_full
Foreign Affairs
committee
AFET
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rapporteur
name: SANTOS Isabel date: 2021-11-08T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
committees/0
type
Responsible Committee
body
EP
committee_full
Foreign Affairs
committee
AFET
associated
False
rapporteur
name: SANTOS Isabel date: 2021-11-08T00:00:00 group: Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats abbr: S&D
shadows
name: ŠIMEČKA Michal group: Renew Europe group abbr: Renew
events
  • date: 2021-12-16T00:00:00 type: Committee referral announced in Parliament body: EP
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
  • AFET/9/07911
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision